Antibiotic berninamycin and process for making same

ABSTRACT

Antibiotic berninamycin producible by culturing Streptomyces bernensis Dietz, sp. nov., in an aqueous nutrient medium. Berninamycin inhibits the growth of Bacillus subtilis and can be used to control slime and corrosion in petroleum products caused by this bacterium.

United States Patent [1 1 3,689,639 Bergy et al. Sept. 5, 1972 s41 ANTIBIOTIC BERNINAMYCIN AND [561 Mm CIM PROCESS FOR MAKING SAME OTHER PUBLICATIONS [721 m Chemical Abstmctsl54: 1984000960) D11, Chemical Abstracts n ss-P ll760c (I961) Colony Road, both of Kalamazoo, Mich 49001; W 6548 Primary Examiner-Jerome D. Goldberg Tmtwoodportage'mch' 4908 Attorney-Eugene 0. Keller and George T. John- [22] Filed: Jul. 23, 1969 [21] Appl. No.: 793,290 57 RA Antibiotic beminamycin pnoducible by culturing [52] US. Cl. ..424l1l7, 195/80 Sfreplamycg; bgrnemi; Diem, sp. mm, in an aqueous [51] Int. Cl. ..A6lk 21/00 nutrient medium. Berninamycin inhibits the growth of [58] Field oiSeurch ..424/1l7; 195/80 Bacillus subn'lis and can be used to control slime and corrosion in petroleum products caused by this bacterium.

ICIainmJDnwhngFlgures PATENTEI'JSEP 1912 3L8a9lss sum 1 or 3 IIIIIII IIIIIIIIIII 3 D u U -5 5 :E B 35 3 3 E S 3 II. a Q...

NO!" MSNYUL K MALCOLM E. BERGY JOHN H. COATS FRITZ REUSSER INVENTORS A TTORNEY PATENTED 5 I973 SHEET 2 [IF 3 I l w l 2- l "NHL O I N I F 3 Q0 Q0 2. Na 3 E m 355%,. N 952.

MALCOLM E. BERGY JOHN H. COATS FRITZ REUSSER INVENTORS ATTORNEY PATENTE D E? 5 I 72 SHEET 3 Bf 3 ITIYIIIT' IIITIII ll lllllllllllllllll uolssnsuvus MALCOLM E. BERGY JOHN H COATS FRITZ REUSSER INVENTORS ATTORNEY 1 2 ANTIBIOTIC BERNINAMYCIN AND PROCESS son g; (m 22; (a) I555 (Sh) (5) I135 :M) 745 EM;

BRIEF SUMMARY OFTHE INVENTION Beminamycin (Ll-27,810) is a chemical compound 5 Infrared absorption band intensities throughout this which is producible by culturing a beminamycindisdosule are indicated as and p producing actinomycete in an aqueous nutrient medilively, and are approximated in terms O t e um. It is a peptide which has the property of adversely backgrounds in the vicinity of the bands. An 8" band affecting the growth of gram-positive bacteria, fo is of the same order of intensity as the strongest in the ample, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and 10 spectrum; bands are b ee One-t ird and two- Bacillus cereus. Accordingly, beminamycin can be used thirds as intense as the Strongest band, and bands alone or in combination with other antibiotic agents to K616551118 One-third as tense as he Strongest band. prevent the growth of or reduce the number of bac- These e a e are made On the bas s Of a percent teria, as disclosed above, in various environments. For transmission scale. Also, the designation sh appearexample, it can be used to prevent deterioration of ing after a band reading denotes a shoulder" type of wool caused by Bacillus cereus in papermill operations. band.

Papergram: The paper chromatographic pattern of CHARACTERIZATION OF BERNINAMYCIN berninamycin in the following solvent systems is as Crystalline beminamycin has the following chemical Show" m 2 of the drawmgi and physical properties; 1. l-butanol, water (84: l6), 16 hours.

Color; hi 2. l-butanol, water (84: 16) 0.25 percent p-toluene Elemental Analysis; sulfonic acid, 16 hours.

Calculated f c n MN 1 0 s 3. l-butanol, acetic acid, water (2: l :1 16 hours. Found: c, 52.79; H, 4.52; N, 17.59; 0, 20.85; s, 2 pewst Piperidine in l-buwnol. Water,

2 72 (84:16), 16 hours. Molecular weight based on the elemental analysis: I'bPtaHOlWatH (4196), 5 hours about 1 1504 200 6. l-butanol, water (4196), 0.25 percent p-toluene Melting point: 290 C. sulfonic acid, 5 hours. Optical Rotation: a 149 (c, 0.67 percent in potasswm Phosphate M, P"

di th lf id 8. 0.075 N Nl-LOl-l saturated with methyl isobutyl Solubilities: Beminamycin is soluble in dimethylforketonemamide and lower alcohols of from one to four benzenemethanoh carbon atoms, inclusive. Berninamycin is relatively l'butanol F i "2 Percent P- insoluble in water, ether, cyclohexane, benzene, toluene sulfomc acid acetone, and ethyl acetate. 13. methanol, 15 percent NaCl (4:1) (Strips 1muv, Ab i pregnated beforehand and dried with 0.1 M

Methanol a q) max, 203 m, 62.4 Bermnamycm has antibacterial activity as shown in 23 44 the following table. The test is a standard two-fold Infl ti a 2 55 m H, a 62.4 broth dilution test in Brain Heart Infusion broth. Color reactions: Ninhydrin negative Infrared Spectrum: The infrared absorption spec- Minimumlnhibiwry trum of berninamycin suspended in mineral oil Tes'orumm fizz 1m mull is reproduced in FIG. I of the drawing. 45 Beminamycin shows peaks at the following staphylococci am. wavelengths expressed in reciprocal centimeters: Streptococcus hemolylicns Streptococcus virl'danr l Streptococcus faecalir l2.5 3460 (M) I545 (Sh) s 1200 (M) 22:22:: 12322322; malt: so 2920 is) (oil) lSl2(Sh) (s was (M) THE MlCROORGANISM i233 (on) H (S) 3,82 1% The actinomycete used according to this invention l h)( (SH W) for the production of berninamycin is Streptomyces :22? :13; 2:; bernensis Dietz, sp. nov. One of its strain characteristics I653 (s m5 (5) (oil) 805 w) is the production of beminamycin. A subculture of the :gig (5) Egg 15:; living organism was deposited without restriction and 1515 (M) I225 (Sh) (M) 115 (M) (oil) can be obtained from the permanent collection of the 1555 (511) (M) Northern Utilization and Research Division, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agricul- Themfrared absorpuon Spectrum ofPemmamycmm ture, Peoria, Illinois, USA. lts accession number in a KBr pellet shows peaks at the following wavelengths this repository is NRRL 3 57 5 expressed in reciprocal centimeters: The microorganism of this invention was studied and characterized by Alma Dietz of The Upjohn Research 3360 5 I530 (Sh) (s) was (M) 297cm) 3 9 332% Laboratories 2940 (M 1 1700 an) (8) mm) m DESCRIPTION OF THE MICROORGANISM I685 (s) 1390 (s) 925 w I657 (s 1295 (M) 885 (M) Strcptomyces bemensis Dietz, sp. nov.

Color characteristics Gray aerial mycelium. Melanin-negative. Appearance on Ektachrome is given in Table 1. Reference color characteristics on agar media are given in Table 2. The culture may be placed in the Gray (GY) and Yellow (Y) color series of Tresner and Backus [AppL Microbiol. ll: 335-338 1963)]. Microscopic characteristics Sporophores long, flexuous (RF); some open spiral (RA) in the sense of Pridham et al. (Appl. Microbiol. 6: 52-79 (1958)]. Spores warty, some phalangiform [1. Bacteriol. 9i: 1998-2005 (1966)]. Spore surface ridged. Cultural and biochemical characteristics See Table 3. Carbon utilization The ability of the culture to grow on carbon compounds was determined in the synthetic medium of Pridham and Gottlieb [J. Bacteriol. 56: 107-ll4 (1948)]and in their medium as modified by Shirling and Gottlieb [lntem. J. System. Bacteriol. 16: 313-340 0966)]. In the former growth was good on L-arabinose, rhamnose, D-fructose, D-galactose, D- lucose, D-mannose, maltose, cellobiose, dextrin, solu le starch, glycerol, and D-mannitol; moderate on D- xylose, sodium acetate, sodium citrate, and sodium succinate; slight on sucrose, lactose, raffinose, dulcitol, D- sorbitol, inositol, sodium oxalate, and sodium tartrate. There was no growth on the control, salicin, phenol, cresol, sodium formate, or sodium salicylate. In the latter, there was no growth on the plain control and good growth on the glucose control. On L-arabinose, D-xylose, D-mannitol, D-fructose and rhannose growth was significantly better than on the basal medium without a carbon compound but somewhat less than on the glucose control. There was no growth on sucrose, inositol, raffinose, or cellulose. Temperature Good growth with heavy sporulation occurred at l8-28 C. on Bennetts agar and at 2428 C. on Czapeks sucrose and maltose-tryptone agars. Growth was poor at 37 C. There was no growth at 55 C.

The characteristics of Streptomyces bernensis Dietz, sp. nov., NRRL 3575, are given in the following tables:

Table 1 Appearance of Streptomyces bernensis on Ektachrome Table 2 Reference Color Characteristics of Streptomyces bemensis Table 3 Cultural Characteristics of Streptomyces bernensis Table 4 Comparison of S. bernensis with S. lavendulae 3372 (These two microorganisms were compared because S. lavendulae 3372 is reported as producing theiomycetin, an antibiotic having reported characteristics similar to berninamycin. (See infra).) from written descriptions O. l I: tyrosine No surface growth Red Casein-starch Fair gray Pale red-tan Dietz, A., "Elttachrome Transparencies as Aids in Actinomycete Classification," Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 60: 152-154, l954.

TABLE 2 Reference Color Characteristics of Strepromyces bernensis Color lSCC-NBS Method Harmony Manual of Agar Medium 3rd ed., 1948 Colors and a Dictionary of Color Names. I955 Bennett's S 3ih( M) beige gray, l l3g olive gray mouse 265m medium gray R 2ig( g) slate tan 1 lOg grayish olive l l2m light olive I P 2li(g) covert brown 1 l0 gm grayish olive Czapeks S 2fe(g) covert gray 94g light olive brown Sucrose l l2gm light olive 8") R 2ie(g) light 9lgm darlt grayish yellow mustard tan 94g light olive brown 106g light olive P 2lg(m) mustard tan 94m light olive brown 107g moderate olive Maltose- S 2t'e(g) covert gray 94g light olive brown tryptone l l2gm light olive gra R 2ie(m) light 9lgm dark grayish yellow mustard tan 94g light olive brown l06g light olive P 2ni( g) mustard [07g moderate olive brown Yeast extract 3te( g) silvQ' gray 63gm light brownish ra --malt extract R 2n] (g) covert 5!; moderate olive brown [SP-2) P brown 94m light olive brown 2ig(g) mustard tan 67g moderate olive Oatmeal S 3fe(g) silver gray 63gm light brownish ray USP-3) R 21e(g) mustard, 8gm dark yellow old gold 94g light olive brown P 2ng(g) dull gold 94m light olive brown l06m light olive l07g moderate olive Inorganic- S 3t'e( g) silver gray 63gm light brownish ra salts starch R 3ih( g) beige gray, ilil g olive gray (lSP-d) mouse 265m medium gray 2ie(g) light 9| gm dark grayish yellow mustard tan 94g light olive brown l06g light olive Glyeerol- S 3dc( g) natural asgaragine R 2ig(m) slate tan l 10g gra ish olive (l P-S) l 12m lig t olive I"! P 2ge( g) covert tan, 94m light olive brown griege l09grn light grayish olive S surface R reverse P igment (s) s w (in) matte Jacobson, 5., WC. Granville, and CB. Foss. l948. Color Harmony Manual, 3rd ed. Container Corporation ofAmerica, Chicago. lll. "Kelly, K.S., and 0.8. Judd. l955. The lSCC-NBS Method of Designating Colors and a Dictionary of Color Names. U.S. Dept. of Comm. Circ. 553.

TABLE 3 Cultural Characteristics of Streptomyces bemensis Medium Surface Reverse Other Agar Media Pcptone-iron Gray Yellow Melanin-negative Calcium malate Gray Gray No pigment Malate not solubiliaed Glucose-asparagine Gray Yellow- Yellow tan Skim Milk Trace Yellow- Yellow-tan pigment gray tan Casein solubiliud Tyrosine Gray- Red-tan Red-tan pigment lavender Tyrosine not solubiliaed Xanthine Gray- O1ive-gray- Olive-gray pigment lavender brown Xanthine solubilized brown Nutrient starch Gray- Olive- Pale olive-gray pigment lavender gray- Starch hydrolyzed brown Yeast extract- Graytan-brown Yellow pigment malt extract lavender Bennetts Gray Brown Olive pigment Czapeks sucrose Gray Yellow- Yellow-tan tan Maltose-tryptone Gray Yellow- Yellow-tan tan Peptone-yeast Very slight trace colorless Melanin-negative extract-iron gray to yellow USP-6) Tyrosine USP-7) Gray Gray Trace yellow pigment Gelatin Media Plain Graywhite aerial Yellow pigment growth on surface Gelatin liquefied ring Nutrient Trace white aerial Yellow pigment growth on surface gelatin A liquefied ring Broth Media Synthetic nitrate Trace compact bottom growth nitrate not reduced to nitrite Nutrient nitrate Gray aerial growth on Trace compact bottom growth surface ring Nitrate reduction variable Litmus milk Trace 8"! aerial No coagulation growth on brown Peptonization',

red-tan color surface ring pH 7. l 5

TABLE 4 Comparison of S. bemensis With S. lavendulae 3372 From Written Descriptions S. bernensis S. lavendulae 3372' Annual Report of Takeda Research Translation of Lab. 18: Japanese Patent 44-48, Publication No. 1959. 1599/60 5 Morphology Sporophores straight Sporophores straight Aerial mycelium straight to few open spiral Spores l oval Conidium oval Spores 0.8- l .2 X Conidium O.8- 1 .2X l.B-2.2p. l.8-2.2p. Cultural Characteristics I Czapeks 5 Gray White agar R Yellow-tan colorless Colorless to pale yellow P Yellow-tan None None starch agar S Gray-lavender White White R Olive graybrown colorless Colorless 20 P pale olive gray None None 0 Starch Starch hydrolysis Starch decomposed hydrolyzed Glucose- S Gray Cottonywhite pole Flocculent, from white to asparagine grayish vinaceus palegrayish vinaceus agar R Yellow-tan Colorless Colorless P Yellow-tan None None Calcium 8 Gray white,few Scant, white malate agar R Gray Colorless Colorless P None None None Gelatin Liquefaction Liquefaction strong Strong liquefying power Nitrate Reduction Reduction Reduces nitrate reduction variable strong Milk No coagulation No coagulation does not coagulate Peptonization Peptoni- Peptonizes zation Media with Brown pigment Brown Brown pigment organic pigment substances Carbon Utilization not given glucose xylose arabinose rharnnose fructose galactose saccharose maltose lactose raffmose inulin mannitol so sorbitol dulcitol inositol salicin Carbon Utilization not given 5 sodium acetate sodium citrate sodium succinate control positive utilization S Surface moderate utilization R Reverse t, ()=faint growth, utilization doubtful P Pigment 0 no growth, no utilization O Other S. lcvendulue is not publicly available from any known culture repository.

The new compound of the invention is produced when the elaborating organism is grown in an aqueous nutrient medium under submerged aerobic conditions.

lt is to be understood also that for the preparation of limited amounts surface cultures and bottles can be employed. The organism is grown in a nutrient medium containing a carbon source, for example, an assimilable carbohydrate and a nitrogen source, for example, an assimilable nitrogen compound or proteinaceous material. Preferred carbon sources include glucose, brown sugar, sucrose, glycerol, starch, cornstarch, lactose, dextrin, molasses, and the like. Preferred nitrogen sources include corn steep liquor, yeast, autolyzed brewers yeast with milk solids, soybean meal, cottonseed meal, cornmeal, milk solids, pancreatic digest of casein, distillers' solids, animal peptone liquors, meat and bone scraps, and the like. Combinations of these carbon and nitrogen sources can be used advantageously. Trace metals, for example, zinc, magnesium, manganese, cobalt, iron, and the like, need not be added to the fermentation media since tap water and unpurified ingredients are used as media components.

Production of the compound of the invention can be effected at any temperature conducive to satisfactory growth of the microorganism, for example, between about 1 8 and 40 C., and preferably between about 20 and 32 C. Ordinarily, optimum production of the compound is obtained in about 2 to 10 days. The medium normally remains basic during the fermentation. The final pH is dependent, in part, on the buffers present, if any, and in part on the initial pH of the culture medium.

When growth is carried out in large vessels and tanks, it is preferable to use the vegetative form, rather than the spore form, of the microorganism for inoculation to avoid a pronounced lag in the production of the new compound and the attendant inefficient utilization of the equipment. Accordingly, it is desirable to produce a vegetative inoculum in a nutrient broth culture by inoculating this broth culture with an aliquot from a soil or a slant culture. When a young, active vegetative inoculum has thus been secured, it is transferred aseptically to large vessels or tanks. The medium in which the vegetative inoculum is produced can be the same as, or different from, that utilized for the production of the new compound, as long as it is such that a good growth of the microorganism is obtained.

The new compound of the invention is a peptide. [t is soluble in dimethylformamide and lower alcohols of from one to four carbon atoms, inclusive. Beminamycin is relatively insoluble in water, ether, cyclohexane, benzene, acetone, and ethyl acetate.

A variety of procedures can be employed in the isolation and purification of beminamycin, for example, solvent extraction, partition chromatography, silica gel chromatography, liquid-liquid distribution in a Craig apparatus, and crystallization from solvents. Solvent extraction procedures are preferred for commercial recovery inasmuch as they are less time consuming and less expensive.

In a preferred recovery process, beminamycin is recovered from its culture medium by separation of the mycelia and undissolved solids by conventional means such as by filtration or centrifugation. The antibiotic is then removed from the filtered or centrifuged broth by extraction. For the extraction of beminamycin from the filtered broth, water-immiscible solvents in which it is soluble, for example, methyl ethyl ketone, l-butanol,

2-butanol or ethyl acetate can be used. Methyl ethyl ketone is the preferred extraction solvent. The extract containing the antibiotic can be concentrated in vacuo to a crude preparation containing beminamycin. This preparation can be used in environments where pure beminamycin is not desired or necessary.

Purification of a concentrated solvent extract containing beminamycin, as described above, can be accomplished by partition chromatography with a solvent system comprising dimethylformamide:water:ethyl acetatezSkellysolve B (isomeric hexanes) (420.4:10110). Fractions from the partition chromatography column can be concentrated to dryness in vacuo to yield a relatively pure preparation of beminamycin.

Further purification of a beminamycin preparation, for example that obtained from the partition chromatography column described above, can be aceomplished by the use of silica gel chromatography and crystallization. The silica gel column can be developed with a solvent system consisting of methylene chloride:methanol (96:4). Fractions from the silica gel column can be clarified by filtration and concentrated further to induce crystallization of beminamycin.

The new compound of the invention, beminamycin, can be used to inhibit the growth of the microorganism Bacillus subtilis in packed yeast. Also, it can be used to inhibit this organism in silkworm production.

Upon acidic hydrolysis of beminamycin there is obtained a compound which has been given the trivial name beminamycinic acid. For example, upon treating beminamycin with l00 ml. of 6 N hydrochloric acid at reflux under nitrogen for about 24 hrs., there is obtained beminamycinic acid. Other mineral acids, for example, sulfuric, phosphoric, and the like, can be used in the hydrolysis reaction. The strength of the mineral acid used can be varied from about 1 to 8 N. The temperature of the reaction can be varied from about 40 to 100 C. The time of the reaction, which will vary with the strength of the acid used, as well as the temperature of the reaction, will vary from 12 to 48 hrs.

Beminamycinic acid can be recovered from the hydrolysis reaction by cooling the hydrolysis solution, neutralizing with a base, for example sodium hydroxide, if a non-volatile mineral acid has been used, and then evaporating the mixture to dryness. The dry residue can be extracted with a weak aqueous organic acid, for example, acetic, butyric, citric, and the like, at about 0.2 to 3 N to remove soluble impurities. The ex tracted yellow insoluble residue can be subjected to centrifugation or filtration to yield amorphous beminamycinic acid. Salts of beminamycinic acid can be prepared by dissolving berninamycinic acid in a minimal amount of water containing a mineral base such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or ammonium hydroxide, or an aliphatic amine such as methylamine or ethylamine at from about 0.1 to about 3 N. Beminamycinate salt crystallizes upon refrigeration. For recrystallization, the salt is redissolved in a minimal amount of water and water-miscible organic solvent, e.g., lower alcohols, or acetone can be used. The resulting crystals of the beminamycinate salt can be recovered by filtration and dried.

Beminamycinic acid is conveniently characterized in the form of its sodium salt, because as the free acid, it is relatively insoluble in water. These characteristics are as follows:

Color of crystals: Orange needles. Melting Point: 290 C. Elemental Analysis:

Calcd for: C H O-,N,SNa, (molecular weight 346): C, 34.68; H, 2.13; N, 8.09; O, 32.36; S, 9.24; Na, 13.29. Found: C, 35.77; H, 2.38; N, 8.12; O, 29.93;

S, 8.20; Na, 13.54. Optical Rotation: [01] 0.04 (H O, c =0.49). Solubility: Sodium berninamycinate is soluble in water, and relatively insoluble in aqueous acids and in common organic solvents such as lower alcohols, and acetone. It has slight solubility in aqueous bases. U.V. Absorption Spectrum in water:

Maxima at 202 mu, 63.25 233 mu, a 49.88 294 mp, a=60.l3 418 mp..a= 10.43 inflection at 270 mu, 0 35.13 Slight inflection at 328 mp, a 14.28 Ninhydrin Test Negative Beminamycinic acid has a characteristic infrared absorption spectrum when suspended in mineral oil mull. This spectrum is reproduced in FIG. 3 of the drawing. Beminamycinic acid shows peaks at the following wave lengths expressed in reciprocal centimeters:

3380 (S) 1530 (S) 1245 (M) 860(W) 3110(M) l490sh(S) 1185 (W) 810(W) 2950 (S)(0il) 1480(5) 1155 (W) 782 (M) 2920 (S)(0il) 1463 (S)(0il) 1122 (W) 762 (M) 2850 (S)(0il) 1408 (M) 1093 (W) 720 (M) 1653 sh (S) 1385 sh (S) 1050 (W) 675 (M) 1637 (S) 1367 (S)(0il) 1010 (W) 663 (M) 1558 sh(S) 1292(W) 915(W) 642(M) 1554 (S) 1265 (W) 895 (W) Beminamycinic acid can be used in solutions as an optical filter, or incorporated into optical films for absorbing U.V. rays.

The following examples are illustrative of the process and products of the present invention but are not to be construed as limiting. All percentages are by weight and all solvent mixture proportions are by volume unless otherwise noted.

EXAMPLE 1 Part A. Fermentation A soil stock of Streptomyces bernensis Dietz, sp. nov., NRRL 3575, is used to inoculate a series of 500-ml. Erlenmeyer flasks, each containing 100 ml. of sterile, preseed medium consisting of the following ingredients:

Glucose monohydrate 25 gJliter Pharrnamedia' 25 gJIiter Tap water q.s. Balance 'Pharrnarnedia is an industrial grade of cottonseed flour produced by Trader's Oil Mill Company, Fort Worth, Texas.

The flasks are grown for 3 days at 28 C. on a rotary shaker.

One shake flask (100 ml.) of the preseed inoculum, described above, is used to inoculate a -liter seed tank containing 13 liters of sterile seed medium consisting of the following ingredients:

Wilson's Peptone Liquor No. 159 l0 g./liter Cornsteep liquor l0 g./liter Pharrnamedia 2 g.lliter Glucose monohydrate 10 gJliter Tap water Balance 'Wilsons Peptone Liquor No. 159 is a preparation of hydrolyzed proteins of animal origin.

lowing sterile medium:

Glucose monohydrate l5 gJIiter Dextrin 25 g./liter Corn gluten meal 20 g./liler Oatmeal l5 gJliter Tap water Balance Before sterilization of the medium, the pH of the medium is adjusted to 7.2 with a 50 percent aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide. The fermentation cycle is 5 days during which time the temperature is controlled at 30 C., filtered air is supplied at a rate of 200 standard liters per minute, and agitation at the rate of 320 rpm. A representative berninamycin fermentation assays about 15 biounits/ml. (BU/ml.) at 5 days against the microorganism Sarcina lutea. The assay is a standard disc plate assay wherein a unit volume (0.08 ml.) of solution containing the material to be assayed is placed on a 12.7 mm. assay disc. This disc is then placed on an agar plate seeded with the assay microorganism. A biounit (BU) is defined as the concentration of the antibiotic which gives a 20 mm. zone of inhibition under standard assay conditions. Thus, if for example a fermentation beer has to be diluted one one-hundredth to give the 20 mm. zone of inhibition, the potency of such beer is 100 BU/ml.

Part B. Extraction Whole beer (100 ml. assaying 15 BU/ml. against Sarcina lutea), obtained by a fermentation as described above, is filtered with the aid of diatomaceous earth filter aid. The filter cake is washed with one-tenth volume of water and discarded. The filtrate and wash is combined and extracted with two-thirds volume of methyl ethyl ketone. The aqueous phase ml., 1 BU/ml.) is discarded but the solvent phase (35 ml., 24 BU/ml.) is concentrated in vacuo to a solid impure preparation of berninamycin; yield, 60 mg. assaying 8 BU/mg. of berninamycin on the S. lutea disc plate assay.

Part C. Purification An impure preparation of berninamycin, obtained as described in Part B above, is purified by partition chromatography. The solvent system for the partition chromatography is dimethylformamide:H,O:ethyl acetatezSkellysolve 8 (4.0204210: 10). The solvents are mixed and the phases separated. Diatomaceous earth (760 g.) is slurried in approximately 9.0 liters of upper phase and lower phase is added (304 ml.) (0.4 ml./g. of diatomaceous earth) with vigorous stirring. The mixture is packed into a 3-inch diameter glass column to a constant high of 23 inches with flowing upper phase. An impure preparation of berninamycin (33.4 g.), obtained by the procedure described in Part B, is dissolved in 50 ml. of lower phase and mixed with 100 g. of diatomaceous earth and enough upper phase to make a pourable mixture. This mixture is packed onto the top of the prepared column bed. One-liter fractions are collected at a flow rate of 4 liters/hour. Fractions are spotted on an agar tray seeded with S. lutea to determine the active fractions. Fractions 9, 10, ll, 12 are combined and 4.0 liters of water, containing 8 g. of dissolved sodium chloride, are added. The solid (white) phase is separated by filtration, washed with water and dissolved in 50 ml. of acetone. The acetone solution is clarified by filtration and concentrated to dryness in vacuo; yield, 205 mg. of beminamycin assaying 302 BU/mg. on the S. lutea assay.

The partition chromatography column fractions can be analyzed by thin-layer chromatography on silica gel. The thin-layer plates are prepared from silica gel HF (60 g., E. Merck AG) suspended in 0.2 M KH PO, (50 ml.), 0.2 M Na HPO, (50 ml.) and MeOH (20 ml.). The plates are air dried then activated at 120 C. for 2 hours. The development solvent system consists of methylene chloridezmethanol (95:5). Detection of beminamycin is by UV absorption with a 254 my, light. Beminamycin has an R, of about 0.3-0.4.

Further purification of beminamycin is accomplished by silica gel column chromatography. Silica gel No. 7734 (Merck-Darmstadt, 200 g.) is mixed with Skellysolve B, poured into a glass chromatography tube and packed to a constant height with Skellysolve B. A preparation of beminamycin obtained by partition chromatography, (163 BU/mg., 3.0 g.) is dissolved in ml. of dimethylforrnamide and mixed with 10 g. of silica gel. The dimethylformamide is removed by evaporation in high vacuum. The dried beminamycinsilica gel mixture is dropped onto a layer of Skellysolve B remaining on top of the column bed. The Skellysolve B is drained to the top of the beminamycin layer. Developing solvent (methylene chloride-methanol, 96:4) is added and the column is developed at a flow rate of 0.5 mlJminute. Twenty-ml. fractions are collected. The fractions are analyzed by thin-layer chromatography on activated silica gel HF which have been prepared with 0.1 M Kl-l,PO,-0.l M Na HPO, (1:1), pH 6.7. The development solvent is methylene chloride-methanol (95:5). Beminamycin (R, approximately 0.3-0.4) is detected by a KMNO NAIO, spray reagent.

Fractions 95-130 are combined and concentrated in vacuo to a volume of approximately 100 ml. The solution is clarified by filtration and concentrated further in vacuo to a volume of approximately 30 ml. Crystallization of beminamycin starts during the last concentration. The crystalline mixture is stored 2 days at -20 C. The crystals of beminamycin are removed by filtration, washed lightly with methanol, and dried in vacuo to a constant weight; yield, 1.26 g. of beminamycin crystals assaying 236 BU/mg. against the microorganism S. lutea.

EXAMPLE 2 Sodium Berninamycinate Two grams of beminamycin, as prepared in Example 1, is suspended in 100 ml. of 6 N HCl and heated at reflux under nitrogen for 24 hrs. The reaction mixture is cooled and evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure at about 40 C. The residue is extracted with 40 ml. of 0.5 N acetic acid to remove soluble impurities. The remaining extract is centrifuged to yield an amorphous cake of beminamycinic acid. This cake is dissolved in 20 to 30 ml. of 1 N NaOH and the solution is refrigerated. Crystals of sodium beminamycinate appear. These crystals are filtered off and redissolved in a minimal volume of water. Ethanol (about 50 ml.) is added to induce crystallization of sodium beminamycinate as orange needles. These crystals are filtered off and washed with cold ethanol; yield, 300 mg. of sodium beminamycinate.

The characteristics of beminamycin, described herein, are similar to those reported in the literature for the antibiotic theiomycetin. [See M. Shibata: Takeda Kenyusho Nempo 18, 44-48 (1959) (Annual Reports of the Takeda Research Laboratories); and Japanese Pat. No. 11,599 which issued on Aug. 20, 1960 to S. Tatsuoka et al., assigned to Takeda]. Neither of these references enable an ordinary person skilled in the art to make theiomycetin. Further, none of the publications cited above, nor any other known prior publication, enables an ordinary person skilled in the art to make the antibiotic of the subject case. Thus, since none of the above publications are enabling disclosures they are not valid references under 35 U.S.C. 102. [See the Board of Appeals decision in Ex parte Alexander D. Arqoudelis, 849 0.6. 1237].

We claim:

1. A composition of matter assaying at least 15 biounits/ml. of beminamycin on the S. lutea assay, a compound which a. is effective in inhibiting the growth of various gram-positive bacteria; and, in its essentially pure crystalline form;

b. is soluble in dimethylformarnide, and l-butanol; and is relatively insoluble in water, ether, cyclohexane, benzene, acetone, and ethyl acetate;

c. has the following elemental analyses: C, 52.79; H,

d. has an estimated molecular weight of about e. has a characteristic infrared absorption spectrum as shown in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawing; and,

f. has a characteristic papergram pattern as shown in FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawing.

2. Composition of matter of claim 1 in dry form, said composition of matter assaying at least 8 biounits/mg. of beminamycin on the S. lutea assay.

3. The compound, beminamycin, according to claim 1, in its essentially pure form.

4. The compound, beminamycin, according to claim 1, in its essentially pure crystalline form.

5. A process for making the compound defined in claim 1 which comprises cultivating Streptomyces bernensis Dietz, sp. nov., having the identifying characteristics of NRRL 3575, in an aqueous nutrient medium under aerobic conditions until substantial antibiotic activity is imparted to said medium by the production of beminamycin.

6. A process according to claim 5 which comprises cultivating Streptomyces bernensis Dietz, sp. nov., having the identifying characteristics of NRRL 3575, in an aqueous nutrient medium containing a source of as- 

2. Composition of matter of claim 1 in dry form, said composition of matter assaying at least 8 biounits/mg. of berninamycin on the S. lutea assay.
 3. The compound, berninamycin, according to claim 1, in its essentially pure form.
 4. The compound, berninamycin, according to claim 1, in its essentially pure crystalline form.
 5. A process for making the compound defined in claim 1 which comprises cultivating Streptomyces bernensis Dietz, sp. nov., having the identifying characteristics of NRRL 3575, in an aqueous nutrient medium under aerobic conditions until substantial antibiotic activity is imparted to said medium by the production of berninamycin.
 6. A process according to claim 5 which comprises cultivating Streptomyces bernensis Dietz, sp. nov., having the identifying characteristics of NRRL 3575, in an aqueous nutrient medium containing a source of assimilable carbohydrate and assimilable nitrogen under aerobic conditions until substantial antibiotic activity is imparted to said medium by the production of berninamycin and isolating the berninamycin so produced.
 7. A process according to claim 6 in which the isolation comprises filtering the medium, extracting the filtrate with a water-immiscible solvent for berninamycin, and recovering berninamycin from the solvent extract. 